Braves P Mike Minor had to get urethra surgery – ouch

Regular readers of LBS will tell you that one of our favorite pastimes is poking fun at baseball players for their weird — and oftentimes wimpy — injuries. We’ve seen everything from bad mattresses to infected bug bites, but the recent procedure Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Minor had to undergo is no laughing matter. You try getting surgery on your main vein.

Minor’s spring training debut has been delayed for at least a week as he continues to recover from a procedure he had on his urinary tract at the end of December. He had difficulty urinating for almost two years and saw a number of specialists, but no one could figure out the issue. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the cringe-worthy details.

It worsened to the point where he had to go to the emergency room, and a specialist at Vanderbilt said he had scar tissue built up inside his urethra that would have to be removed via the cystoscopy. He was told there was a 50 percent chance that it could return at some point, and that it was impossible to predict when.

When he resumed throwing he had shoulder soreness that led the Braves to rest him in the first week of training camp. Minor said the shoulder was sore from his trying to rush back after not doing any throwing in January. He normally begins his offseason throwing program just after Christmas.”

Minor believes he could still be ready for the start of the season, which is the good news. The bad news is the doctor saying there’s a 50 percent chance the scar tissue could come back. Imagine spending two years in pain while peeing and then being told you may not be out of the woods? Here’s hoping Minor gets on the right side of that 50 percent. Our thoughts are with you.